Watership Down: A Second Chance
by MyLifeBeingABookworM
Summary: The world was destroyed once, by man and all his devices. But that was long ago and now Frith was ready to fill it with his children again. This time, however, the future of a certain group of people will be changed. Loyalties will be tested, friendships built, and the love of a family will remain forever strong.
1. Prologue

**Alright well hey there guys! This is what I consider to be my first REAL fanfic, thanks for taking a look. Please review! Even if it's just a silly comment or if you hate it I just need feedback. This story was inspired by that awesome cover pic of mine (which isn't shown in its entirety) that was drawn by the awesome reversealchemist over there at deviantart (seriously he's awesome). So if you think its awesome, tell me please. If you think its a big load of hraka and should be burned from this world and sent back to the pits of Inle from whence it came, TELL ME PLEASE. **

Prologue

It was a horrid world to live in. That time of great destruction. Man, though still one of Frith's children, spoiled the earth of their forgotten ancestors and struck their neighbors with weapons sent straight from Inle.

The destruction of mankind affected the whole world, plant and animal alike. Though no one knows for certain how it happened, plagues of war, famine, and disease are good for a story. The Before is a time long ago, when man ruled the world with a clenched fist and animals trembled before his horrific, mechanical hand. Yet even after their destruction of the world, Frith felt a sadness at the loss of his world and once again blessed it with life.

He recreated the lendri, the homba, even the rabbit, which had given him plenty of trouble before, but most lovingly of all, he made man. He could not deny that man had caused great despair before, but Frith still loved all his children and would never deny them the gift of life.

When Frith gave all his children gifts to make them each special, man sent their leader, El-ahrairah, to retrieve theirs. Though cunning and knowledgeable of the land, his people were no match for the fiercest of the forest animals. Without the various skills of their ancestors, they found it hard to survive the extremes, and so El-ahrairah asked Frith to once again let his people live as they did before. Frith knew this would end in the same fashion as before and so came to a compromise, he gave El-ahrairah language and showed him where some of their ancestors' old civilizations could be found.

With all his newfound knowledge, El-ahrairah's warren flourished. Eventually he began to realize his people weren't the only ones in their wide world, and so he set off to spread his knowledge with his trusted Captain of Owsla, Rabscuttle and his mischievous psychic, Hufsa. Other warrens they met on their travels weren't as quick to learn the new ways, but most caught on. Yet there were still some that had customs too strange to change.

Though from the past, the humans that inhabited the Before time were far more advanced than us. Their clothes were made to last for years, so without use, they were more than enough for the people of Frith's world. The same goes for many of the other things they used. As El-ahrairah and his companions traveled, Frith asked them to destroy any weapons they might come upon to prevent the world from suffering the same fate as before, though some storytellers still speak of unfound warrens flowing with weapons of mass destruction.

When they died, their stories stayed alive along with their legacies and the warrens they helped. One warren they helped was Sandleford. The warren was small, just like the town it was built on. Like most others, they had found the tools man used but failed to understand what they were used for.

Sandleford was doomed a terrible fate, it was to be attacked by a vicious rival group of humans. It was for this reason, and many others, Frith blessed them with a special psychic. They would be saved, but only if they listened to him.

Whether or not they heed the warnings, another story will begin where, unfortunately, many lives must end.


	2. Into The Wood

Into the Wood

The dark mystery of the night was only penetrated by the white light of Inle as Hazel waited in the thicket at the edge of Sandleford. He had his brother, Fiver, with him and a young man he knew named Dandelion as well.

Hazel was older than both having already passed twenty years. He could've been in the Owsla but his younger brother needed looking after and not many other people tolerated Fiver's gift. Fiver was a psychic, and a darn good one at that. He had had a vision of doom coming upon Sandleford and Hazel was the only one to believe him, that is except for the few who agreed to run away with them.

As brothers they both had the same auburn hair and while Hazel had their father's copper-colored eyes, his brother had the misty gray of a psychic. Hazel was taller than his small brother yet Dandelion towered above both of them. He was a lanky young lad with short blonde hair and amber colored eyes. He was a good friend of Hazel's and helped convince other Outskirters like them to leave the warren.

Their chosen spot of cover was agreed upon earlier that day and everyone willing to leave the doomed warren was to meet the three there at fu Inle. Hazel was about to remark on their companions' lateness when he heard someone walking up to him from behind.

"Who is it? Blackberry? Is that you?" he whispered cautiously.

"Yes Hazel, it's me. I've brought along a little friend of mine, you remember him don't you?" answered Blackberry. She held the hand of a small boy who she urged to come out of the shadows.

"Um, hello there… sir. Nice night… isn't it?" The boy was obviously frightened but tried to look brave all the same. "I'm Pipkin."

Pipkin's mother, Violet, died during childbirth. He grew up without any real parents, and though most of the Outskirters would take turns taking care of him, Blackberry was the one he looked to as a motherly figure. As a baby, Blackberry never let him out of her sight and, even as a growing boy, this hadn't changed. Blackberry was a pretty young girl with unusual silver hair. She was very intelligent and many recognized her as the healer of Sandleford. When she heard about Fiver's vision, she was quick to realize they had to leave before it was too late.

"I hope you don't mind. He won't slow us up, will you dear?" Blackberry said as she walked closer to the group.

"Oh no! Don't worry Mr. Hazel, I'll run as fast as El-ahrairah! I'll be as strong as-"

"Shh! Pipkin of course you can come just don't shout. Blackberry were there any others?" Hazel said exasperatedly. He was anxious enough just trying to calm down Pipkin, dealing with others was sure to put a strain on things.

"Not many others I told would come. I'm sorry Hazel, they just won't listen."

"Actually, I told Bluebell and Hawkbit. They said they'd come but-look there they are!" Dandelion pointed to some shadows slowly making their way to the small group and sure enough the two brothers made themselves known.

"Hazel, what's this I hear 'bout some trouble comin' 'ere? Hawkbit says that brother o' yours 'as been 'avin them visions again. What's goin' on?" demanded Bluebell. He looked cautiously between the five of them with beady eyes.

Normally, he would be running around the warren with his brother, Hawkbit, causing mischief on any unlucky victims they'd pull pranks on. He wasn't much bigger than his younger brother but what he lacked for in size he made up for in authority. They both had the same messy, gray hair and sarcastic personalities. And right now they also shared the same look of exasperation.

"_Fiver_ says there's some doom to come upon Sandleford and we have to leave before-" Hazel said, trying to make Bluebell see reason.

"You're actually goin' to listen to _him _'bout this? Are you mad?! With all his moanin' 'e'll 'ave the entire Owsla on our tails in no time."

"My brother is _not _mad. And I'd appreciate you'd keep that in mind if you're to come along with us."

Before Bluebell had time to think of something else to say, they heard not too distant cries as the Owsla searched the warren for the runaways. Hawkbit jumped in surprise.

"Bluebell he's come looking for us!"

"What are you talking about? Who's coming?" Hazel questioned as he heard approaching footsteps.

"The Owsla! We ran into Toadflax and Ragwort on the way over and they must have alerted the-Dandelion behind you!" Hawkbit screamed as a hulking figure appeared just behind his friend. Dandelion jumped out of the way just in time for the mountainous figure to come charging into the group just feet in front of Hazel.

"Well, there aren't many of you are there?" the immensity was in fact a Captain of Owsla of great importance and was well known among the warren as-

"Bigwig! Are you off duty?" Hazel was just able to make out the face of the Captain standing before him. Fear swept over him as he realized his small group was no match against the Captain if he were to fight them.

"Ha! Off duty, and likely to remain off. I've left the Owsla. Happened just after you talked to the Threarah." Bigwig smugly ruffled his grayish-brown hair in mock boredom and stood in front of the group with pride. "I've been thinking about what you said Fiver, and if the chief won't listen… Well, I didn't like the way things were getting around here anyway."

"Alright then," Hazel heard the Owsla getting closer and turned quickly to the small group,"well I suppose we start running now." Bigwig grunted in approval and turned towards the part of the field that was closely shrouded with towering forest trees, not far but indeed distant.

"That might be wise, but the Owsla would be covering the farthest part of the field right now. So I say our best bet would be running into the forest." He looked at the group and saw the fear in their eyes; he knew they would be making this journey on blind hope. "Everyone got that?"

The rest nodded heads and they were soon bolting straight towards the woods.

The group heard more officers scattering around them and ran. None of them looked back as they heard the Owsla running around the field trying to find them.

They ran across the wide field that surrounded Sandleford and made it into a line of trees without being spotted. Since most of them had never been farther than the field, Bigwig led the way through the small wood. He did so with an air of regular authority, this didn't surprise Hazel, though it made him wary. Bigwig was good to have in case there was fighting. But Hazel knew him to be rash and sometimes had quite a temper, nothing like Bluebell though. In truth Hazel was ashamedly annoyed that he had bothered to show up, not many of them could say different, he was sure of that. Everyone knew he had an anger problem, and with Blackberry being around it could only get ugly. He decided to keep a close eye on both of them from now on, but for now Bigwig could lead them through the forest.

Their urgency fueled their sprint and they hardly noticed the distance put between them and the warren. Pipkin suddenly fell and let out a sharp cry to Blackberry. She went to his side and called the others to stop, unfortunately Bluebell was the only one to hear her.

"Oy, come on Blackberry, you're 'oldin' us up!"

"Can't you see he's hurt?"

"All I can see is you 'oldin' down a perfectly capable young buck!", he gave Pipkin an arrogant look, "Isn't that right lad?" When he didn't receive an answer from the obviously frightened child, Bluebell just jogged back to the rest.

"Oh that nasty- Never mind, come on dear, I'll help you up." She offered the boy her hand and they struggled but slowly made their way to the others.

The group trudged on through the wood and every once in a while they had to stop to let the smaller ones rest. From dragging their tired feet through the crowded undergrowth of the forest to hobbling over fallen trees, the group was exhausted. Bluebell, Hawkbit, and Dandelion wanted nothing more than to go back to the warren.

"You know it was safe at the warren, maybe the Threarah will listen to all of us. Eh Hazel?" Dandelion had stopped and looked back towards Sandleford and seemed to be in a daze. No doubt the exhaustion and shock, thought Hazel.

"We can't go back Dandelion, you heard Fiver, we'll all be killed." Hazel slowly pulled him back in the direction of the group and was worried to see so much sadness in his friend's expression. "Come on, why don't you try to tell Pipkin a story. I think he was hurt along the way, it could do him well to hear one of your stories." Dandelion just shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts, and walked towards Blackberry and Pipkin.

Dandelion had been one of the best storytellers Hazel had ever heard, he was even getting along good in the hierarchy of the warren, as most storytellers do. Their inherited knowledge of old legends and faraway peoples was very useful and the best could often be seen living amongst the Owsla. But now all that had changed for his friend, and Hazel felt deeply responsible.

At last they came out of the first wood and came upon a valley-shaped field, with tall grass that rolled with the cold night wind. The moonlight gave the meadow an eerie and beautiful sense of bliss and the travelers were happy to spend the night there. On the other side of the small plain was another wood, denser than the first. More dangerous.

"Alright everyone, we've earned a good rest find a space to sleep for the night and-"

"Wait Bigwig, we're not nearly far enough." Hazel took a step back and examined the sudden belt of trees in front of him. "We'll have to make through these trees if we really want to be clear of the Owsla."

"Now hold on, just exactly _who_ is in charge of this little expedition of ours?"

"No one at the moment, but I don't plan on leaving anyone vulnerable to any attacks by elil. Frith knows what's out here." Hazel tried to sound forceful, and just for the moment it seemed to have worked as the burly Captain rolled his eyes and shouted to the others the change of plans.

"Hazel You don't think we could stay here for the night? Pipkin's foot got caught on a rock and he's had trouble since we left." Blackberry pointed over to Pipkin who was just a little ways off sitting under an old oak tree trying to massage his hurt ankle. "I don't think he can go much further."

"I'll go talk to him, come along Fiver."

Blackberry went to talk with Dandelion as the brothers made their way over to the small boy. Hazel reached him first and Fiver hung back behind him. Fiver could sense Pipkin's unease at Hazel kneeling before him and seeing him as weak. He smiled at the thought and waited patiently while the two talked.

"Hey there Hlao-roo," Hazel tussled his hair and Pipkin smiled despite the pain in his foot, "you doing alright? Blackberry said you've got yourself an injury there. That can't be true can it, not a tough little bugger like you?" Hazel playfully punched his shoulder and Pipkin laughed.

"No sir, that rock didn't know what hit him. Still, can't we stop here? You know, I don't think Blackberry can last as long as us bucks." He puffed out his chest and gave Hazel an over the top salute.

"No, I'm afraid despite that we'll have to keep going. Don't worry I'm sure a tough lad like you should make it no trouble at all." Hazel gave him one last cuff before standing.

"I'll stay with him Hazel, don't worry the others won't bother us." Fiver offered an arm to help the youngster stand up but he was soon back down again as Pipkin collapsed from the pain in his ankle and let out a yell.

"Hazel, I don't think he's going anywhere on that foot, we need someone bigger to help him." Fiver carefully laid Pipkin back down as Blackberry ran over to the three. The rest of the group joined and they were all soon gathered in a circle around the trembling child.

"Hazel he can't go on like this! We need to stop here. He can't be on this foot!" Blackberry had knelt down beside Pipkin and was searching his foot for any breaks. "I don't feel anything strange so it might be a sprain but still, if we have to go on someone will have to carry him, Frith knows I can't"

The group was empty of any volunteers. Having already run past their limit, they were reluctant to carry the boy, no matter how injured, through an unknown part of their small world. With the stress and exhaustion of running from the warren, Blackberry's nerves were ground down to almost nothing.

"Someone volunteer or I'll pick one of you lazy bucks myself!"

Empty, prideful silence.

"Dandelion! Pick him up please!" Blackberry looked to the groaning buck as he reached down for Pipkin. But as soon as he had an arm under the boy another voice rang out.

"We shouldn't 'ave to take orders from _anyone._ Especially a demanding, annoying little doe like _you_!"

"Hey Bluebell, take it easy will ya?" Hawkbit put a hand on his brother's shoulders, trying to calm him down. He was only brushed off as his brother took another step towards Blackberry.

Dandelion stood up and tried to dispel an argument he knew would only grow in intensity, "Really Bluebell its fine-"

"What do you mean annoying? You're the one who's been complaining the entire night!" Blackberry narrowed her eyes and glared daggers at the buck.

"Maybe I've been _complaining_ because there's one person on this little expedition o' ours that should've been _left_ at the warren."

The two's furious stare was abruptly broken when Bluebell found himself suddenly staring at the powerful arms that could only belong to the mighty Captain of Owsla as he cracked his knuckles and towered over the poor sap that dared cross him.

"I don't like your tone, old son. Apologize. " Bigwig looked down at him with warning clear on his face.

"But I-"

"_Now!_"

Horrified at the thought of having to fight, Bluebell gave a hasty apology before heading into the forest still fuming with his brother staying back to explain his actions.

"He's really a nice guy once you get to know 'im." Hawkbit offered an apologetic smile and began speaking again but was cut off by Blackberry.

"Well if he acts _nice_ one more time I'll take care of him myself." Everyone gave a face of surprise at the normally pleasant doe. Dandelion, taken aback, said to Fiver ,"Glad we brought her."


	3. By The Moonlit RIver

**By the Moonlit River**

Hazel began to lead the group through the vast forest after they had waited for Hawkbit to retrieve his brother. Pipkin was sitting on top of Bigwig's shoulders and was half asleep even with Bigwig ducked to avoid any low hanging branches. As they walked through the rocky soil, complaints could easily be heard from the back of the group, namely from Bluebell.

"I'm tellin' ya! It's not fair Bigwig gets to 'ave them fancy shoes just 'cause 'e was in the Owsla while we're cuttin' our feet on these Fri-"

"Hey come on Bluebell, they might hear ya."

Hawkbit could be heard trying to calm his brother down as the rest of the group was trying their best not to listen.

"All I'm sayin' is that he should walk the same as the rest o' us, even if 'e's carryin' that kid o' Blackberry's." With that final sentence a nerve was struck in an already irritated doe and she turned around and glared at Bluebell.

"You need to quit your whining and suck it up already. If you have something to say, say it. Right now in front of all of us, if not then you can just shut it!" They were once again facing each other in a furious haze as their argument began heating up. Bluebell's eyes were ablaze with fury.

"Just keep on walkin' doe, my business wasn't with you."

"I think as long as you're talking about Pipkin it is."

"You know that was always your problem! You never knew when to shut up when no one was talking to you!"

"Alright you two that's enough!" Their argument was cut short as Hazel came between them and yelled to get their attention. The rest of the group was shocked at the quickly escalating scene in front of them and froze. Hazel stood in front of Blackberry defensively and spoke calmly, "You have done nothing but complain from the minute we left Sandleford. Now you know I'm not looking for a fight, but if you have a problem speak now." Hazel met Bluebell's angry stare with his own level-headed one. Bluebell did not speak. Hazel turned his back to Bluebell and faced Blackberry, who gave him an apologetic look.

"Hazel I was just-"

"I think it would be best if neither of you spoke to each other, at least until we find the place Fiver's talking about."

The two swiftly apologized and walked to opposite ends of the group. Bluebell hung back with his brother and an unhappy Dandelion while Blackberry went ahead with Bigwig, Pipkin, and Fiver.

Exhausted from their journey so far, the group decided to rest near a small stream. The water barely reaching up to their shins, they washed their faces and drank what they could before settling down to sleep.

Bluebell slumped against a tree with his brother lying on his back beside him. He was just about to fall asleep till his eyes drifted towards a certain doe.

"Look at her, by the way she talks to 'im you'd think she's 'is mum."

Bluebell sat glaring at Blackberry as she tended to Pipkin's ankle a little ways off from the tree him and his brother now lay next to. Hawkbit let out an exasperated sigh and sat up to talk his brother out of his volatile mood. This was always how it went: Bluebell gets angry, and Hawkbit is there to talk him out doing something stupid. The cycle never stopped, never ended. It had always been his way. Even as kids Hawkbit never failed to talk his brother down from the dangerous ledge he walked along every day, because if he ever dropped over the other side, blind rage was all that followed.

There had been several times at Sandleford where Hawkbit's jokes just weren't enough to calm his brother down. There had been times where Bluebell lost control and, always, people got hurt. That's why he was never recruited into the Owsla, he was strong, he could fight, but if someone pushed him too far there was no telling what could happen.

Then Blackberry came along and for a while things were alright, but then…

No , he wouldn't think about that day. He couldn't.

"Oy, come on Bluebell, leave her be."

"Oh yeah, why should I? I'm so _sick_ of hearin' her go on and on about her precious little _Pipkin_. All she does is whine and cry 'bout 'ow 'is foots hurt an' 'ow he needs rest, bah! I don't see 'ow she expects 'im to grow to be a strong buck if she keeps baby talkin' 'im."

Bluebell made a move to stand but Hawkbit pulled on his arm to keep him seated, he knew what would happen if he didn't.

"Yeah but Hazel said it was best if you didn't talk to her. Besides she's asleep already."

With a few more grumbles, Bluebell finally leaned against the tree and sat staring at the moon, however Hawkbit wasn't convinced that his anger was so easily dispelled.

"Blue, listen, I know you're angry-"

"Oh I'm more than angry little brother." Hawkbit was afraid of that.

"Yeah, but I think tomorrow you should try to be a bit less- well a bit less vocal about your thoughts."

"What do you mean _vocal_?" Hawkbit heard the rising anger in his voice but continued on, he needed his brother to hear him.

"I just think that others might not be as ready to…um…they might not handle your…um."

"If there's something you want to say, say it! Dear Frith you're blabbering is worse than Blackberry's."

Here he was talking about _her_ again.

"Bluebell, not everyone here knows you like I do. They might not take it so easy if you keep telling Blackberry what to do. I know you might be missing her but-"

"Miss her?" He scoffed," You've got to be kidding me."

"Well you've gotta admit things were a bit better with her around."

"No they weren't. Things was just covered up is all, you know that."

"Anyway, just please try to rein it in a bit and-"

"I'm just speaking my mind."

"Right and that's fine, but just don't be so loud about it. We can stay with them till we find our own place to live. Then you can cluck about like a chicken all you want."

The two sat in silence as one brother nervously picked at the grass and the other continued to gaze at the night sky

"You're always lookin' out for me ain't ya? Alright, I'll try to be a bit _nicer_ tomorrow. Don't know what good it'll do, but if it'll keep you from whinin' then I'll keep my trap shut. Oh and by the way, I _do not_ cluck like a chicken."

"Like Inle you don't."

After exchanging a few punches the two slumped against their tree and fell into an exhausted sleep.

Bigwig too sat against a tree, but didn't sleep. He kept an eye out for elil and watched for any danger. Dandelion was asleep on his back a few yards away near Blackberry. She curled around Pipkin in her sleep, like a mother protecting her child. Bigwig smiled and felt a newfound sense of pride at the boy. Though his foot was injured he didn't complain at all, he even tried to climb off his shoulders at one point. The way he strived to prove his strength to the rest was obvious. Even his admiration for Hazel was clear for all to see, his eyes shone with delight when Hazel offered a word of praise or tousled his hair. Bigwig sighed and continued to watch for elil.

On the bank of the stream, Hazel sat with Fiver by his side watching the water trickle across the white stones in its bed. Hazel let their companionable silence go on for a bit longer before he began to speak.

"Fiver, where are we going?" His brother flinched at the question.

"You think I'm mad."

"I never said that-"

"You didn't have to. Well I'm not mad Hazel. There's a place out there where we belong, a place Frith saved just for us, where we can be free and live happily."

"I believe you Fiver, I always have. But some of the others don't and if we're going to stay together we need them to believe we have a definite place to go to." Hazel looked at his brother pleadingly but only saw a blank stare as Fiver fixed his gaze across the stream and into the wood beyond. "I'm only trying to he-"

At that second Fiver began to shiver and convulse, muttering to himself as he almost fell face first into the stream. Hazel caught his brother and tried to make sense of what he was saying.

"Fiver can you hear me? Fiver!"

"_High and lonely hills, where the winds carry every sound. _

_The grass is dry as straw in a barn. _

_There our new home is found."_

Shocked, Hazel gently shook Fiver awake and looked at him quizzically.

"What did you see Fiver?"

"It was our new home Hazel…and it was the most beautiful place I've ever seen." Fiver stared off into the distance with a glazed look in his eyes.

After a silent moment with Hazel thinking over the vision and Fiver looking fixedly into the woods, he shook himself out of his stupor and looked to his older brother.

"Hazel, you believe me don't you? Tell me you believe me, please!"

Hazel turned his head, he couldn't stand to see his brother look so pleadingly at him. He looked to the moon, the shining moon that always seemed to comfort him. The river bank was silent as he thought over their predicament.

No one knew better than Hazel the danger that came with ignoring his brother visions. No matter how absurd or unimportant they seemed, he always made sure to listen. So why should this be any different? Was it the fact that now he not only had his brother to keep safe, but also six others who he'd just taken away from their only home? He couldn't afford to be wrong anymore, one mistake and he'd lose all of them. He wouldn't let that happen. But by pushing the visions to the side, he might be doing the very thing to get them all killed.

Fiver was unsettled by his brother's silence and got up to leave. Hazel's arm reached up to his brother's shoulder and pulled him back down.

"Fiver, I've always listened to your visions and they've always been right. This gift of yours, its-its never lead us to any harm." Hazel let go of his brother and turned to face him. He stared into the fog-colored eyes of his brother, his only family, the only person close enough to his heart to hurt him. Whatever he said next , he knew it could change their relationship for better or worse. "I believe you Fiver, there's not a doubt in my mind that says I shouldn't listen to you."

Fiver heaved a sigh of relief and curled into a ball with his arms on his knees and his head tucked underneath. Hazel put a hand on his brother's back as small sobs could be heard from beneath his trembling form. All was quiet as he cried and Hazel made no move to leave his side. With a sniff, Fiver picked his head back up and rubbed his eyes embarrassedly.

"We should get some sleep Hrair-roo," his brother laughed a little at his childhood nickname, "the place you spoke of sounds far. It'll take quite a bit convincing to coax the others along."

With that, the brothers walked back up the slope and found a spot under a large tree to sleep. Fiver fell asleep quickly, but Hazel's worries about the next day's travel would give him no rest. He sat up straighter on the tree's trunk and kept watch for any elil he knew might be hunting at night. As the night grew brighter under the starry night sky, he began to nod off and drift into dreams of a new home for his brother and now extended family.


	4. Danger, Inside and Out

**So I know this chapter took a while to come up but it's twice as long so we're all happy. I want to say thank you everyone reading and reviewing, seriously guys, that's all that has me going right now. Thank you Embem, Sharks, and Keeralie for reviewing. When I read yall's comments I just smile and have a good day! So if anyone wants to review I don't mind (hinthint) but if not that's cool, I just enjoy seeing that nifty little graph tell me people are reading this thing. So without further ado, I present the reason I've been getting up an hour early: Chapter 4**

Danger, Inside and Out

The sun rose with the sinking of the moon and shone warmly over the earth beneath. The forest was aglow with an amber radiance and the animals in the trees and beneath them crawled out of their dens and burrows to greet the day she brought to them. Beneath the trees drowsily swaying in the morning breeze by the sandy riverbank Hazel and his band of runaways were stirring from their sleep.

Bigwig had been the first to wake up and so had gotten up and done a perimeter check to make sure there weren't any elil or other humans they had to worry about. Though shamefully, Bigwig would admit this was much farther than he'd ever been from Sandleford. He had heard stories of other kinds of people in faraway lands where they worshipped idols of their own imagination, made sacrifices, ate their own people, and other atrocities too numerous to count. He had never heard of any trouble with those kinds of people near Sandleford but in this wilderness he had to expect anything.

As he came back to their camp he saw Hazel and his brother had already woken up and were at the river splashing their faces. The others were also waking so he decided to go talk to hazel before the others made it impossible.

"Hazel, I've been meaning to talk to you about this whole trip of ours. Do you even know where exactly we're going?" Hazel was startled by the captain's sudden appearance and nearly fell in the river. He was afraid he'd have to deal with him before the others, but it was better to get rid of his questions now rather than later.

"Bigwig, Fiver's visions aren't always clear about what's going to happen. So even now with-"

"But Hazel, I saw what was going to happen to Sandleford." he shuddered, "This time I saw it."

Hazel turned from Bigwig and focused on his brother, trying to convince him to talk about the doom on Sandleford. He hadn't wanted to talk about it the day before but now Hazel saw the fear in his eyes and wasn't sure if he wanted to know.

"I saw what happened Hazel and it was horrible. Happened right after we left. They're all dead by now, or worse. The bad people took them. They were insane Hazel, they were demented. I don't think anyone could've gotten away."

"What was it? Did another tribe invade?"

"I think so, they weren't looking for others to take with them though. Only to kill. That's all they wanted. The fields they're covered with blood." He shuddered violently again.

Hazel cringed, "How did they get past the Owsla?"

"The Owsla's been crumbling for a while now. Most of the Officers were corrupt, started taking whatever they wanted from the food storage, taking advantage of weaker Outskirters. It's likely no one was on guard and the intruders slipped in right under their noses." Bigwig was interested now; if the boy was faking he was doing a good job of it.

"Do you think they'll catch up with us? We could cover some ground if we start now and run."

"I don't think they'll come looking. They stayed at the warren, it's _their_ home now." However this did little to quell the captain's mind and even less Hazel's. He knew he'd have to get the others awake and ready to move soon. He didn't know if they planned to search the outlying woods for survivors and he didn't want to stick around to find out.

"It doesn't matter we should get moving anyway. Bigwig, the others are waking up. I'd appreciate it if you kept this to yourself. They'll get scared if they find out what really happened at Sandleford, we can tell them later but for now we need everyone to keep their heads."

Bigwig gave a quick nod and walked over to see how Pipkin was doing with his ankle, he hoped he could walk now, his shoulders were still sore from carrying him yesterday. He looked over his shoulder to see Hazel going over to talk to Dandelion. Hazel better know what he's doing, Bigwig thought. Everyone's lives were at stake and if they didn't find a place to settle in before nightfall they could be caught by elil, or worse.

After everyone had woken and washed up, Hazel stood in front of them where they had gathered by the trees. He gave Bigwig a look so as to remind him of their agreement, he knew he was skeptical about Fiver's visions and that could lead to trouble if he wasn't careful.

"Umm well…good morning everyone." There were mumbled responses as Hazel nearly slapped himself in the face; leadership wasn't exactly his field of expertise. "So we covered good ground yesterday but I think we can do a little better today. I know you're all hungry but I asked Dandelion here to pack extra provisions yesterday, you have them don't you?" Hazel looked toward his friend as he was shown a satchel with a slight bulge full of what he assumed was their food. "Now we only have enough for a few days so we may have to make camp tomorrow and catch food. If we get as far as we can by nightfall we should reach the place Fiver told us about in a matter of a few days, so eat up and we'll be on our way." With that Hazel made to step back into the group but was approached by Blackberry.

"Hazel, can I talk to you?" After a quick nod she gathered her thoughts together and spoke again. "I know Fiver, and I trust him, but is there really a place for us to go? Pipkin needs rest and we're lucky it's only him so far that's been hurt." The others faced Hazel as they heard Blackberry's questions. They need reassurance, Hazel thought, and all I have is my brother's word. Hazel heaved a sigh and tried to ease their worries.

"Alright I know you all are scared but Fiver had another vision last night." Hazel was sure he heard a scoff from the back of the group but decided against acknowledging it. "He said our new home lies in the high hills. Now that we know where it is we can get there that much sooner."

This didn't seem to do much but they began gathering their things nevertheless, and now that it was daylight and they weren't running for their lives Hazel could see what they had all brought with them.

As he had asked, Dandelion and Blackberry both carried satchels full of food and medicinal supplies from Blackberry's infirmary tent at Sandleford. Along with that, he could see Bigwig had a special pack that the Owsla wore on their patrols or had with them when they journeyed away from the warren. It is an odd piece of equipment, thought Hazel, those two straps at his shoulders must dig into him terribly. Hazel saw him surreptitiously pat the side of his pants; he knew that meant he was carrying some sort of weapon.

Like other camps built on the ruins from the Before, the humans settled there at Sandleford had access to almost everything there they could find. Some of the stronger structures from the Before still stood- crumbling, a husk of their previous grandeur. Whenever such ruins were found, a settlement was built there almost immediately and the people who found it were usually seen digging around or exploring the ruins. Usually the first things to be found were weapons, and because of the great demand for them during the Last War they tended to be in good condition. Weapons like bows and arrows or knives were the most commonly used because of their simplicity or obvious use. Weapons like guns or other firearms were not typically found in the old ruins of cities, and when they were, higher-ups usually used them for show to denote their powerful settlement.

In the Before, during a time much more advanced than ours, the war that killed the world was preceded by a period of corruption and sorrow for people everywhere. Their governments slowly turned a blind eye as they were pushed from their homes and left defenseless. One of the first restrictions put into place, globally, was the mandated surrender of all civilian firearms and assault weaponry. All weaponry collected was moved to the military bases that sprung up in odd places around the world.

Even though he knew none of this, Hazel still wasn't surprised to see a Bigwig, Bluebell, and even Dandelion carrying, and picking up off the ground on Dandelion's part, knives and daggers. Bluebell slid his dagger out of a sheath hidden near his side and flipped it about between his fingers. He's just showing off, Hazel thought. However it was odd to see Dandelion and Bluebell with such weapons, Outskirters were never allowed to have any weapons at all and if they found any they were supposed to report it immediately. The Chief and his Owsla were the only ones who used them anyway. And though Hazel did not have extensive knowledge of weaponry, he could tell that the dagger Bluebell held was uniquely stunning.

"Say Bluebell, I didn't know you were part of the Owsla. That's a fine looking knife you have." At the compliment, Bluebell beamed and began doing more tricks with the knife.

"I'm not in the Owsla, but this is mine. It is lovely, though, isn't it? It was my father's when 'e came to Sandleford and when he left he never took it with 'im! Imagine that! Here you wanna take a look? She's a pretty thing she is." He brought it closer so Hazel could see it and it was indeed prettier close up.

The handle was about as long as Hazel's hand and was made of a strong, but slightly eroded, silver metal. At the top of the handle sat a gem bluer than the sky. Hazel, and no doubt all of the others looking, had never seen a gemstone as big as this one and he had trouble tearing his gaze away from it. Set in the handle were three more stones: two small, green stones and another blue set in between them. The intricate handle gracefully led up to the deadly blade itself: the blade was only a short bit longer than the handle but looked sharper than any knife he'd ever seen. The blade glinted in the sun as Bluebell made a show of tucking it away.

"Yeah she sure is a beauty. Haha! And because I'm the eldest, Hawkbit's gonna have to wait till the Black Rabbit takes me to get his grubby hands on it!" Bluebell caught his younger brother by the shoulder and tussled his hair. Hawkbit just laughed and punched his brother's arm.

"Yeah but this blighter right here won't start pushin' up daisies!" Hazel, Bigwig, and Dandelion laughed as the two started wrestling on the ground, with Bluebell obviously winning. As the two broke up their mock fight, Hazel asked Bigwig about his knife.

"It's just standard Owsla issue, you join you get a free blade. It's simple but it's enough to fight with. What about you? Don't you have anything at all?" Hazel looked for any hint of sarcasm in the Captain's voice but all he saw was genuine curiosity.

"Outskirters weren't allowed to have weapons. It was illegal."

"Yeah, but did anyone actually follow that rule?" Bigwig chuckled and Hazel did too after a while. He was still unsure about Bigwig's character and if there was a fight Hazel didn't want him knowing all the tricks up his sleeve. But he also couldn't sound suspicious. I'm overthinking this, thought Hazel, who would ever want to be a leader if it's anything like this?

"Of course I have a knife. With all the officers that bullied my brother I had to get one." Hazel stayed quiet to let the implications of that statement seep in. He saw Bigwig shift and inwardly smirked, he had to know he would do whatever he needed to protect Fiver. To protect them all.

"That's brave of you; you could've been arrested being caught with it. How did you get it anyway?"

"Not all the Outskirters report their finds to the Owsla. An old hermit who lived near us sold it to me. It's not much but it's more than most of the others had." Hazel turned towards the others as they milled about, having already eaten a quick breakfast of the roots and berries Dandelion packed. "Perhaps we should get going now; we should put as much distance between us and Sandleford as we can."

With that, Hazel called all the others to attention and after a short while they were off on the next leg of their journey. Meanwhile, the clouds looming overhead stayed close on their heels as if to warn of a danger they could see lying ahead.

* * *

The way was easy going as far as they'd gone. There were no attacks by elil or other people and the weather was fair. As for the travelers, they were tired; but their fear of both the new surroundings and the warren kept them going. None of them asked exactly what doom befell Sandleford, Hazel thought they were too scared to find out. He was relieved he wouldn't have to turn down anyone's questions about Fiver's visions, their belief was wavering at best and it would have to remain that way if he wanted to get them all to safety.

Hazel walked in front of the group and looked for any high hills ahead of them. When asked, Fiver had just started walking in a general direction and Hazel followed. He didn't always now what his brother meant to say and sometimes it was what he didn't say that made the difference. Right now he just had to go where his brother pointed and they would all be safe.

Bigwig stayed at the back of the group keeping an eye for any signs of attack. It was easier to do his job today as Pipkin had been given to Dandelion to carry. Though he felt embarrassed about it, he was immensely relieved. He wasn't heavy, Bigwig just couldn't watch for danger with him constantly talking on his shoulders. He was a cute kid, yesterday he was trying to make friends with everyone in the group from where he sat and he succeeded in getting a few laughs out of Dandelion and Fiver. Bluebell though had just ignored him. That was what worried Bigwig, Bluebell's constant bickering. That's why he wasn't in the Owsla. He was a right good fighter, but he had a nasty temper that the Owsla thought could be the sign of something worse. His brother wasn't too bad, but he wasn't much better. He was a few years too young to be considered for Owsla but a few officers talked about how much of a nuisance he had been. Both of them were usually caught lazing about or making mischief about the warren or chasing does, at least on Bluebell's part. He was notorious for making trouble with the does, but not many took him seriously.

As Bigwig was thinking this over, he didn't realize Blackberry making her way towards him from the front of the group. She fell into step with him and waited for his acknowledgement of her before speaking.

"Captain, sir, I umm…wanted to thank you for helping me with Pipkin yesterday. I know you were busy with Hazel, finding a place for us to live and all." She quickly cast her eyes forward as he looked over at her, surprised at the sudden show of gratitude.  
"Well, you're welcome. It was no trouble at all, he's a good kid. You're raising him well." Blackberry smiled and seemed to open up a bit more at the compliment.

"Thank you, it was hard but I'm quite pleased with how he's turning out. He's a right little gentleman. You know he speaks very fondly of you, sir, says you were very nice to him yesterday. If you don't mind my asking, why did you help us anyway?" For the first time since speaking with him, Blackberry looked him in the eyes. It frightened him a little to have a doe be so direct but he knew she was just reading him, seeking his intentions.

"Well, I saw the fight between you and Bluebell and, despite what you might think about the Owsla, we're not all terrible. I didn't want him hurting the little guy and I figured you would get tired faster carrying him yourself." Bigwig thought a moment, "What's going on between you two anyway? I don't mean to pry it's just that he talks to you terribly from what I've heard. I don't want to have to break up a fight it gets further than talk." Bigwig spared a glance at her and she was flushed, presumably with anger.

"If you don't mind, sir, that's not something I'm prepared to discuss with a stranger."

"I'm not trying to be nosy I just want to know if I should be watchful of him, or you, starting another-" Blackberry's hair fanned out about her head as she whipped around to face him. She had to tilt her head upward but that didn't take away from the intimidating stare she held.

"You have my word that I won't start anything with that pathetic son- with that pathetic excuse for a man. I won't talk to him; I won't even look at him. But the second he says _anything_ that threatens Pipkin, he'll be sorry. Good day to you, sir." Stunned, Bigwig just watched as Blackberry pulled back from her stare and resumed walking normally.

He was surprised to say the least. Who knew that the smart little doe from the Outskirts could be so abrasive if she wanted to be? Of course, everyone knew that most does in the Outskirts behaved like that. They were more independent, tended to be more direct with the bucks. Whenever they were picked up by an Owsla officer to be his mate, they just let the spoils of living in the central warren get to their head and became haughty and pompous. Bigwig hated those does, which is why he never chose a mate. He liked does, well he _really_ liked them, but to know they would've soon become like all the others was a turnoff. The kind of doe he wanted, he was not sure existed: strong, independent, the kind of doe that wouldn't run from a fight. Bigwig continued walking, using the same caution and watchfulness as before, but with more to think about.

As Blackberry made her way to the front of the group, she accidently bumped into Hawkbit's side and made him jump. She apologized and fell into step next to Dandelion, ahead of Hawkbit and Bluebell. Bluebell rolled his eyes at the doe and resumed talking to his brother.

"You know it's getting' dark up there," He pointed skyward, towards the gray clouds that hung closely over the sparse woods. "Hazel would do well to find us a dry spot."

Hawkbit pretended to study the clouds; he wasn't much good with weather.

"Yeah, I'm gettin' tired of all this walkin'. Maybe they'll find one soon." Hawkbit started chattering on about something else but Bluebell had his mind on other things. Being like all Outskirters, he had nothing between his feet and the bare ground, and right now he had stepped in something that didn't exactly feel like mud, unless mud was warm and stood piled on the ground.

"OH MOTHER OF FRITH!" Bluebell howled and immediately began hopping on one foot. He continued spilling out curses as he hopped and almost fell if Bigwig hadn't caught him.

"Oy! What's all the screaming about?!" Bigwig stood him upright and seemed annoyed more than angry at the sudden disturbance. Hazel, Fiver, Blackberry, and Dandelion ran over to them and at once everyone tried making sense of the situation.

"What happened to-"

"Are you alright-"

"Are elil follow-"

"What's that sme-"

"Quiet!" Everyone turned to look at Hazel- shocked by his sudden change in tone.

"Will you calm down now? Thank you. Bluebell, what happened?" Hazel could see the buck squirm as he admitted what happened, rather embarrassingly.

"I stepped in hraka."

For a second no one made a sound, and then Hawkbit made a choking sound as he tried to hold down his laughter and no one could hold theirs in anymore. The whole group burst out laughing- raucously, holding their sides as they heaved air into their lungs. Hawkbit fell to the ground, laughing the most of all, and Pipkin almost fell off Dandelion. Bluebell just blushed furiously and stalked off in another direction from them.

"Yeah, yeah, alright 'ave your laugh. I'm goin' to clean this muck off my foot." He hobbled along leaning on trees to support himself, heading towards the river they'd slept by and had been following for most of the day.

The others took a few more moments to get themselves together but eventually Hazel called everyone to stop for a rest. Dandelion took Pipkin off his shoulder and set him on a log so Blackberry could check his foot. Seeing the boy safe, Dandelion stretched his arms and walked over to Hawkbit. He liked Hawkbit so far, Dandelion hadn't talked to him too much at Sandleford, as Bluebell scared him a bit, but he was fun to have around.

"Hey."

"Oh, hey Dandelion. I don't have any hraka on me, do I?" Hawkbit was standing in an awkwardly twisted position as he checked as much of himself as he could for any signs of the smelly substance. "Bluebell was thrashin' about and I swear 'e got me. Jeez, 'e sure can be a big baby sometimes."

"Well I don't see anything. No, you're fine. Say, about Bluebell, is he gonna be okay on his own? Maybe you should've gone with him. He seemed a bit miffed."

"Nah, he's a big baby, but I'd feel sorry for any bear that picked a fight with 'im. He'll be okay." It was quiet for a little while, not uncomfortably quiet, but quiet enough to become noticeable. Dandelion was trying to think of something but the pain in his neck was beginning to bother him. He rubbed his neck; Pipkin wasn't exactly pudgy, but he wasn't as thin as a reed either.

"Hey, you all right? What's wrong with your neck?" Hawkbit asked.

"Oh, it's nothing. Just carrying Pipkin all day isn't exactly the most comfortable thing in the world."

"Y'know you didn't _have_ to take him, right? You coulda just kept walkin'." Hawkbit looked at him seriously for the first time. Dandelion just blinked back at him.

"I helped because… well, Blackberry's my friend and Pipkin didn't look too well anyway. It just seemed like the right thing to do."

"Oh," Hawkbit looked at the ground and kicked at the dirt near his feet. "Y'know I woulda done the same."

"Well, why didn't you?" Dandelion asked. It was quiet as Hawkbit tried to think of a way to answer but before long they heard the sound of his brother making his way back.

"Alright I'm clean now, let's get goin', shall we? 'ey Dandelion, you still doin' doe's work?"

Dandelion looked at him curiously; half knowing what was coming next.

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talkin' 'bout how you carry that kid o' Blackberry's around like he's a bloody Chief!"

Bluebell laughed and wrapped his arm around Hawkbit's shoulders; Hawkbit just sighed and looked at Dandelion apologetically. It didn't seem to work, though, as the young buck just rolled his eyes and walked back towards Blackberry.

* * *

It was sometime after ni-Frith that the rain that had built up in the low-hanging clouds finally broke over the forest and drenched the group of travelers. Their sad journey was only more disheartened by the fact that, despite their efforts, they could not find a single cave or even a big enough tree for them to take cover under. As evening appoached, Hazel had to call for a stop when Dandelion slipped in a mud puddle and almost took Pipkin down with him. They had made it clear of the forest by this time and came to a sort of valley. It was very wide but not too deep. The side opposite them was much higher than the one they stood on and held more foliage just like that behind them. The rain poured hard here and the grass rolled in waves with the harsh wind of the storm.

Hazel looked out across the valley but the rain made it hard to see the other side. He had just made out a few boulders and bushes when he felt someone tug on the sleeve of his drenched jacket. He looked back to see Fiver staring blindly out at the valley; his lips were moving as if to talk but no sound came out. Before Hazel could question his brother, Bigwig walked up next to him with a sour look on his face.

"Hazel, I think it's about time we find some _real_ shelter, not just duckin' under trees. Everyone'll get sick of we stay out here much longer."

"I know we need shelter, I've been trying to find a cave or _something_ but it's just empty out here." Hazel tried to see past the rain, but still, nothing looked like it wasn't a tree.

"Maybe it's empty out here because there's nowhere to go." Hazel turned to see Bigwig narrowing his eyes at him, ever slightly, "You didn't answer my question earlier; is there a definite place for us to find?"

"There _is_ a place; Fiver had another vision last night. He said it's in-"

"Yeah, 'the high hills', we all heard you talking to Blackberry. But is it really there? How do we know we're not just following a bad dream?" By now Bigwig's voice had grown louder and the others were beginning to notice there was something wrong. All at once everyone was asking questions about where they were going and some were even considering going back to Sandleford. Hawkbit was among those who were not so happy with the trip.

"We never should have left! If there was a danger the Owsla would have fought it so there was no point in coming out here." Bluebell and Dandelion nodded in agreement to this. "I'm going back home, to Sandleford." At this, he began to walk back towards the woods, with his brother giving one last glare before he turned to walk behind his brother and Dandelion looking as if he were making his mind up to join. Bigwig ran ahead and stopped in front of the two before they got any further.

"Nobody's going back, get movin'." He raised his voice enough for everyone to hear, knowing they might all follow. From behind Hawkbit he heard a scoff and a mumbled word. "You wanna repeat that, lad? Or are you just gonna let your little brother protect like he's been doing all day?"

"Bigwig, that's enough." Hazel looked at him seriously and Bigwig had met his gaze for only a second before he was suddenly forced to the ground.

Bigwig hadn't seen it but Bluebell's face had flushed scarlet with anger and he had practically shook with rage. The pressure from having listened to his brother's advice and hardly talking to anyone but him had built up in his head and pained him badly. He hadn't been allowed to voice his frustration with everything and now all his anger and rage burst forth as he unthinkingly pounced on Bigwig and tackled him to the ground. It was an uneven match though, with Bigwig's Captaincy, natural strength, and Owsla training he had the upper hand, but Bluebell's anger lent him something inhuman as he punched and kicked with all his might. They rolled over each other again and again on the ground as the rain fell harder, each throwing punches and cursing endlessly. Bigwig seemed to have the fight under control as he avoided Bluebell's thrashing but couldn't find a solid hold on him.

"Alright you two, that's enough!" Hazel came over beside Hawkbit who had had to move out of the way to avoid having his feet wept from under him. Hawkbit just pulled Hazel farther back until they were next to Dandelion.

"You don't get in the middle of Bluebell when he's fightin', mate. He can get awful nasty, trust me." Hawkbit shivered and just watched impatiently as the fight continued. As Hazel waited, albeit frustratingly, for the two to break up their fight, or for Bigwig to win, he heard Blackberry call his name from the edge of the valley. He would have answered her call but at that moment Bigwig had Bluebell face first in the grass and was pressing his shoulders and arms down with his.

"Alright Hazel, give me one good reason not beat him senseless." Bigwig was huffing and appeared to have been the object of a few good punches but he remained calm and Hazel knew calm meant one thing: deadly.

"You can't do that," said Hawkbit, "he was just angry! All he needs is sometime to cool off not a beating!" Hawkbit was running towards his brother but Dandelion stopped him, knowing it would only make things worse.

"Hazel, would you come here for a second." Blackberry said. Hazel knew she was somewhere behind him but opted to leave her alone till the matter at hand was sorted out.

"Now Bigwig, don't lay another hand on him. Before it was self-defense, now it's just senseless violence."

"He's been trouble the whole time," Bigwig retorted, "maybe he'll take the hint and shove off."

"We need everyone we have until we're at the new warren."

"Hazel." Blackberry's voice was a little louder this time.

"Not now Blackberry!" Hazel accidentally shouted at her.

"Not him, he'll only make more trouble. And the next time he starts a fight, it might not be with someone who can handle themselves as well as I can."

"Hazel!"

"What?!" All of the bucks answered and turned around to see Blackberry standing angrily on the edge of the valley.

"While you two were rolling around in the mud, I spotted a stranger down by the dip in the valley." She turned to look back through the rain and Hazel joined her but motioned for the rest to remain where they were.

"When did he get here?" Hazel could hardly see anything in the downpour but he could just make out a figure staring back up at them. It stood motionless.

"I don't know. I was just trying to see through to the other side and I saw him standing there. What should we do?"

"Hey Hazel," Dandelion had called to him from where he stood with Hawkbit, "everything alright?"

"Yeah, everything's fine." he turned to Blackberry, "_We_ are not doing anything. You take Pipkin to Dandelion and I'll head down there with Hawkbit."

"Are you serious? He'll be no use in a fight and you'll want someone by your side who can see through a trick or a trap. Someone like me."

Hazel thought it over quickly. He couldn't take Dandelion, as he was a worse fighter than Hawkbit and about as clever. He couldn't take Bigwig or Bluebell for obvious reasons and Fiver was acting stranger than normal. And he couldn't go alone.

"Alright, but stick behind me. If he attacks he'll go for you; you can run back up here while I distract him. But first, we let him talk. Who knows? Maybe he'll let us into his warren."

With that, the pair explained their planned negotiation quickly with the others and set off down the hill. The dirt was loose and the rain made it almost impossible to traverse. In the end they made it, but Hazel hoped the stranger was friendly. He would hate to see Blackberry get trapped on the slope. They walked up to the stranger and the closer proximity gave them a clear picture of him.

He was indeed a man, but looked very different than them. For one, he wore very strange clothes. Instead of the solid colored, thin fabric shirts and heavy, baggy pants the bucks wore (as does wore solid, thicker fabric dresses), the stranger was dressed in a long, richly colored scarlet robe and had a hood pulled over his head. He stood with an air of superiority and seemed aloof; his facial hair was twisted into sharp circles at the ends and the top of his head had gone bald with age. Hazel was put off, to say the least, by the stranger's appearance but tried nonetheless to talk with him.

"Hello. My name is Hazel, this is Blackberry. Our friends are up there on the ridge; we've been traveling for a day and night now, away from our home warren. If we've intruded on your land, we do apologize." For a while the stranger just stared back at him and then to Blackberry then back to him. Finally he answered, though in a voice so transfixing any storyteller would have been envious.

"Where have you come from?"

"Up north, our warren was destroyed and now we're looking for a new home."

"Well, there aren't many of you are there?"

At this Hazel hardened a bit and he sensed Blackberry become more alert.

"We have enough to protect ourselves." The stranger let out a velvety laugh and his paunchy belly shook with the action.

"Oh don't be so fussy, there's just not enough of you to live comfortably. I have more than enough room at my warren, you see I'm Chief there; you and your um… friends can be our guests as long as you like." The stranger smiled at Hazel encouragingly and turned to Blackberry for the first time, he offered her a different smile. "And you my dear, what is your name again?"

She hesitantly answered, "Blackberry."

"Ah, Blackberry. I'm sure you'll be most comfortable in my home." Then he slid his hand out in front of Hazel and smiled again.

"My name, friend, is Cowslip. And it is my honor to welcome you to the Warren of the Shining Tunnels."


End file.
